BIRMINGHAM Airport has recorded its busiest year in its 77-year history – helping eleven million passengers take to the skies in the last 12 months.
Just a year after breaking the ten million mark last August, the airport announced it had broken its own record and also recorded its busiest single day to date last Friday (August 19) when 44,767 passengers were recorded travelling through the airport.
Birmingham man, James Sheffield, was named the milestone 11 millionth passenger, on August 19 as he checked in for his United Airlines flight to San Francisco (via Newark) – the airport treating him to a ‘slap up meal’ and magnum of champagne.
Mr Sheffield, who was jetting off to visit friends in San Francisco for a week-long holiday, described it as a check-in ‘with a difference’.
He said: “I wondered what was happening when I arrived at the desk and airport officials approached me, but what a fantastic surprise.
“It’s kicked off my holiday brilliantly and I look forward to enjoying my huge bottle of champagne with friends when I return.”
Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Kehoe, welcomed the record-breaking news and described the 11 million passenger milstone as an ‘absolute game changer’/
He said: “It shows that demand for flying to and from the Midlands is rapidly rising and this is only expected to continue as national and international investment in the region continues and the Midlands Engine powers on.
“We have celebrated a huge amount of accomplishments recently, including welcoming an astonishing thirteen new airlines to the airport, creating an even stronger network of global routes.
“We now have over 440 direct or one-stop flights globally with 50 airlines and proudly handle the magnificent A380 and Dreamliner aircraft, daily.
“The future is exciting as we focus on the next milestone – twelve million passengers – and we will be working very hard over the next year to deliver even more connectivity for our region’s business and leisure travellers.
Over the last 12 months, long-haul traffic has increased by 26%, with particular growth seen on services to the Middle East, North America and Europe.
Monthly records have been breaking consecutively for the last seventeen months at Birmingham Airport.
